History 103: History of Early Latin America--Prado
Searching for Books
Searching for books in the library catalog is a great way to explore your topic. Doing a Subject Browse search will allow you to see what topics are covered and can also help you to narrow your topic to something much more manageable. For example, if you are constructing a search on a particular aspect of Latin American history, start by entering a specific location or country and adding the term history. For example:
The figure below is the results page to the above search. Notice that the "Titles" and the numbers below represent the number of titles for each subject heading. The headings tell you what the source is about. Each source can have more than one subject heading.
The figure to the right is the results page to the above search. Notice that the "Titles" and the numbers below it represent the number of titles for each subject heading. The headings tell you what the source is about. Each source can have more than one subject heading. See how these headings can help you narrow your search results? Click on the numbers or headings to go to the actual titles.
You can do another kind of search in the GCC Library catalog. Below is a search that finds a specific group of people, civilization, etc. from the terms found on your syllabus!
Not all of your terms from your syllabus will be found in the library catalog. However, many of the terms do work.
Hints:
*The catalog does not recognize capital letters.
**If you add the ? after a root word, the search engine will find all the words that begin with the root term. For example: maya? will bring up all both maya AND mayan
Finding Electronic Books
The GCC Library's electronic books may be accessed on any computer with an internet connection. You may access the electronic book collection through the library catalog or more directly through the eBook Collection link on the Articles tab on at the top of the GCC Library website.
Some of the books included in this collection include the following:
- Mapping Colonial Spanish America: Places and Commonplaces of Identity, Culture, and Experience
- Slave Systems: Ancient and Modern
- Weaving the Past: A History of Latin America's Indigenous Women From the Prehispanic Period to the Present
- The Countryside in Colonial Latin America
- Independence in Spanish America: Civil Wars, Revolutions, and Underdevelopment
On the search screen, cut and paste one of the above titles into the first search box. You will get the specific title as well as some other sources containing some or all of the same search terms.
Gale World History Database
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While a very high percentage of items in this database are in fulltext, it does not always return items in fulltext when doing a basic search. To ensure items are in fulltext, select one of the listed topics OR go to the Advanced Search form to specify that you want fulltext items. See images below on how to do this:
hile a very high percentage of items in tensure items are in fuSee images below on how to do this
Below is an alternative way to find items in fulltext in Gale World History in Context:
STEP1:
STEP 2:
STEP 1:
ProQuest has changed its search screen. Some of the most useful options are not apparent on the first search screen. Make sure you look at all the options available to you on the page. There are a lot more options now and you will want to use these to your advantage. Also, the new ProQuest platform reserves some of its limiters to the results page. Make sure you review all limiter options before randomly selecting the first hit that comes up. For more help on navigating the new ProQuest, visit a reference librarian at the GCC Library.
Do not expect to find exactly what you are looking for on your first couple of tries. Give it some time and patience, and you will likely find at least a few useful sources on any particular aspect of early Latin American History.
Notice the various strategies to make your search more effective and relevant. When entering more than two words in ProQuest, remember to put quotation marks around the term to find the exact phrase or you will get all the words wherever they appear, relevant or not. Try some terms like: mexico, chichen itza, uxmal, copan, palenque. Use these terms in combination with terms like art, architecture, independence, ritual, gender, trade, econom*, etc.
BE CAREFUL: There are many book review sources in ProQuest, but they are not appropriate for research because they are sources about sources. You may, however, use a source mentioned in the book review, but only if you have access to the actual source mentioned.
JSTOR is another database for secondary sources (research articles written about history) that are all in full-text. Follow the instructions and diagram here to conduct an effective search on your topic. Again, be flexible with your search terms. See the diagram below to limit your search to items in History or Latin American Studies journals. 
When searching in Google, take advantage of its Advanced Google Search Form and type in .edu, .gov, or .org to increase your chances of getting more reliable and quality sources. You are more likely to get sources such as this one from the Minnesota State University at Mankato
Citation Style: MLA or Chicago Style--Your Choice
For MLA Citation Style, the GCC Library has created a brief guide to help you cite print, electronic, and media sources. You may view or print them by clicking on the following links:
Following are more detailed guides should you need them:
The above guides are based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed). The GCC Library has these available for use in the library as well as a few for check out. The call number for them is 808.02 M685, 2009.
Following are other useful guides for MLA Citation Style format and documenting your sources:
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Research and Documentation by Diana Hacker
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MLA 7th edition Formatting and Style Guide from OWL at Purdue
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Documenting Sources: Overview from OWL at Purdue
Help with Annotations
The GCC Library also has a worksheet you may use to help you with drafting your annotations for your sources. You may view or print this worksheet by clicking on the following link:
Professor Prado's Research Assignment
Research Assignment and Annotated Bibliographies
History Research Assignment #2
Remember that if you get stuck, stop by the reference desk, email, or call us at (818) 240-1000, ext 5755 for more help.
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To download a free copy click here.
Last Updated 9/30/2011 sch
